Unlikely Allies
by Hermione Granger - Top mind at Hogwarts
Summary: She needs his help and, though he doesn't know it, he needs hers. This is an AU fic that takes place 7 years after the final battle.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione looked down at the mess before her. She could brew brilliant potions, cast powerful spells, and translate ancient runes, but for the life of her she could not cook. The toast was burnt, the eggs were runny, and she didn't even want to _think_ about what happened to the sausages. Not only that, but her fingers were in agony. She had taken to keeping some of her salve in the kitchen due to the amount of times she had burned herself trying to cook.

Sighing, she pulled down her old standby – a box of fresh breakfast buns that she kept handy. _Perhaps I'll have to ask Molly for help one of these days,_ she thought and then dismissed the idea. It would be better to wait until she and Ron were married, or at least engaged.

Hearing Ron come out of the shower, she took the plate of buns and the fresh pot of tea to the table just as Pigwidgeon and Diana flew through the window. Because of Pig's small size, she had purchased her own owl so that she could make the deliveries that Pig couldn't. The assorted mail dropped onto the table in a heap as she dropped into her chair.

"Morning, love," Ron said as he kissed the top of Hermione's head. "Mmmmm, buns and tea. What's in the post this morning?"

Hermione smiled as he sat down. "Probably a lot of junk mail. You know, the _Daily Prophet_ , the _Quibbler_..." she said, sorting through the mail. "Oh, it looks like your Quality Quidditch Supplies catalogue came in. Here's a letter from Harry and Ginny..." She stopped dead as she came to the next letter in the stack.

"Brilliant!" Ron said. As he took both the catalogue and the letter, he noticed Hermione looking strangely at her letter. "What's that?" he asked.

"It's a letter from Hogwarts," Hermione replied, looking at the envelope curiously.

"Hogwarts?" Ron asked whilst chewing on his bun. "What'd they want you for?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, opening the letter and reading it. Her eyes opened wide as she read the contents of the letter and her mouth dropped open. "I don't believe it."

Ron looked over her shoulder. His eyes widened as he read the contents.

"Blimey, Hermione!" he exclaimed. "Minerva wants you to teach Transfiguration!"

"I know. I _never_ expected this." Hermione took a sip of her tea as she read over the letter again. Looking over at Ron, she noticed that he'd opened the letter from Harry and Ginny. "What do Harry and Ginny have to say?"

Ron grinned. "Ginny's pregnant," he said. "She's two-and-a-half months along."

"That's great!" Hermione smiled. She was happy for her friends, but she also was a little jealous. She wondered if and when Ron would get around to proposing. "I'll have to owl them later. After all, I have some news too."

Ron's eyes widened. "Other news besides Hogwarts?" he asked.

Hermione laughed. "Don't worry, our contraception spells are still working. No, just about the offer at Hogwarts."

Ron laughed nervously. As much as he would have wanted children, now was definitely not the time. He mentally sighed – he and Hermione had been dating each other since after the final battle, and yet after all this time, he was still trying to come up with the courage to propose to her. He knew she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Which then brought him to Hermione's news – a teaching appointment at Hogwarts. On one hand, he immediately felt happy that such an offer would be made to her; after all, she was always and forever helping others with their studies. She had helped Neville avoid a T in Potions, and had constantly been badgering Harry and him to do their homework. She'd probably make a great teacher. On the other hand, he felt it was another sign that the picture he had in his mind would never come to pass. The so-called Golden Trio would not always be together. He and Harry had trained to be Aurors; Hermione had decided to take an apprenticeship in Transfiguration instead. With the possibility of Hermione accepting Minerva's offer, he wondered if they would still be able to live together. If Hermione would have to move to the castle, where would he live? Would this affect Hermione's answer if he were to propose to her?

He took a deep breath, and smiled at Hermione. "Yeah," he said, "I didn't think they'd fail; after all, you're brilliant at Charms."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks. Not that I wouldn't mind being a mum someday. Just not now." She looked at the letter again. "She says she needs to know in a week's time. It's almost August, after all. She would need time to find someone else."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, and September is just around the corner." He glanced at Hermione, who was still examining the letter. "Uh, 'Mione?"

She looked up from the letter at him. "Yes?" she asked, taking a sip of tea.

"What does Minerva's offer include?"

She consulted the letter again. "Forty Galleons a week, and she is giving me the option of staying at the castle or commuting since we live in Hogsmeade."

Ron gave an inward sigh of relief. If Hermione would be allowed to continue living in their flat, then there really wasn't anything that should prevent her from accepting Minerva's offer. The only issue was that their time together might very well be curtailed. He never recalled the professors having much of a social life outside of school, but then again, how many students were friendly enough with their professors that they would seem "normal"?

"How many hours per week would you have to work?" he asked.

"In general, thirty-five hours would be the minimum, which may or may not include marking essays or preparing for lessons or exams. On Wednesday nights, however, I have to patrol the corridors until midnight, so I would stay at Hogwarts through dinner that night and then come home when I am finished."

Ron nodded. It could have been worse. But he wasn't very happy about the thought of not being able to spend at least one day a week with her. He wondered what he'd do with himself when she was busy in the castle. He enjoyed their mealtimes. Well, she couldn't cook like his mum, but it was nice just to _be_ with her. "Would you have to work on weekends? Or even on Hogsmeade weekends?" he asked.

"I don't think I will have to work on weekends, but I might have to help with Hogsmeade weekends from time to time. Not that it would be a problem, really, since we _do_ live in Hogsmeade. Besides, I have a feeling that once Quidditch season starts you will want to come and watch the games, won't you?"

Ron chuckled. "Right in one." He smiled. "But... well, it just seems like a lot of time away, and I'd really miss you terribly when you have to stay in the castle. And... well, I just... "

Hermione smiled, stood, and went over to put her arms around him. "I would miss you too, but don't forget: you work about the same schedule, and sometimes you are called out at late hours. And it's only one night a week that I will have to stay late. We'll have the nights and the weekends." She frowned a bit as she felt a burning pain in her chest. "That last sip of tea must have gone down wrong."

Ron looked in alarm at her. "'Mione? Are you okay? What's wrong, love? Your face is getting red."

"Yes, just some heartburn, that's all," Hermione replied, giving him a reassuring smile. "I think I'll go see if we have some of that antacid potion." She kissed his cheek and went back to the bathroom.

Ron looked at Hermione's retreating form, then sat back down in the chair. For the past several years, friends and family alike had been pressuring him to finally ask Hermione to marry him, but for some reason, he had resisted their suggestions, coming up with varied excuses ("We're not ready yet," "She's really busy with her apprenticeship," "Things are really busy at work, and it wouldn't be fair to her if it meant she'll have to spend all her time alone."). Now that there was the possibility of not seeing Hermione every day, he wondered if perhaps it was too late for him to think of proposing to her. Or should he just do it, right then and there, once she emerged from the loo?

Whatever objections he might have to Hermione taking the Hogwarts job was outweighed by the look of sheer rapture on her face when she first opened the letter. It would be a dream job for her and was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. He decided that if she really wanted the job, he should not stand in the way of her accepting it.

Hermione returned, feeling a little bit better. The pain hadn't gone away completely, but it didn't hurt as much. "Thank goodness we had some of that left."

Ron took her hands in his and squeezed them. "I'm glad, love," he said, smiling. "'Mione, I was thinking – I know how much it means to you to be able to work as a master in a job you love. I'll admit that I'm not exactly happy about the thought of spending too much time away from you, but at least you'll be able to do something where you can make a difference. Is this a job where you feel you can truly be happy?"

"Yes, Ron. Ever since we were going to Hogwarts I thought about how great it would be to teach there. I didn't think I'd ever get the chance, or that I would get it this soon. After all, I'm only twenty-five years old. But I would love to take this opportunity."

Ron nodded. "Then I'd say why wait a week? Let's celebrate, Professor Granger." He drew her in his arms and gave her a kiss.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione got up bright and early the next morning. Putting on a pot of coffee, she started making a list of the things she wanted to get in Diagon Alley. It was Saturday, so she knew that Ron would want to go with her, but he was still sleeping.

As she made the list of the things she'd need, she thought about how proud her parents would be to see her now. It was coming up on four years now since they'd been killed. She remembered the day like it was yesterday…

 _"_ _You are doing so well, Miss Granger. After today we'll stop for the holidays and resume after the new year. Then it will be just a few more months and your training will be complete." Master Smythe smiled at her. "Have you thought about what you'd like to do once your training is complete?"_

 _It hadn't taken Hermione long to reply to him. "I've always dreamed about teaching at Hogwarts. I'd love to – "_

 _Just then a terrier bounded into the room and up to Hermione._

 _"'_ _Mione, I have to come and see you. I'll be there in ten minutes," the terrier said in Ron's voice._

 _A sense of foreboding came over Hermione and her heart started pounding. "That's Ron. He's an Auror. Something must have happened. I hope Harry's okay," she explained to Master Smythe. What if another Dark Lord had arisen? It had only been three years since Voldemort's fall and there were still Death Eaters around._

 _Master Smythe poured her a cup of tea, seeing how shaken up she was. "Why don't you sit down? We can stop for the day, or at least until you know what is going on."_

 _Hermione accepted the cup of tea and sat down, feeling her heart pounding. True to his word, ten minutes later Ron appeared, but he wasn't alone. Harry was with him. They both looked very serious._

 _Ron walked over to her and gave her an embrace, then took her hand. Harry drew up another chair so that Ron could sit next to her and stood on her other side._

 _"_ _Hermione, Harry and I were called out on a raid this morning," Ron said quietly. "It was at your parents' practice." He put his arms around her, all professionalism gone. "I'm so sorry, Mione."_

 _Hermione gasped as a sharp pain went through her breast. Her heart was breaking…_

A tear ran down her cheek as Hermione remembered the painful memory. She could still remember that pain in her chest. In fact, it still hurt from time to time. She supposed it would never go away. She fished in her pocket for a tissue and wiped away her tear.

"Morning, Mione," Ron said, coming into the kitchen.

"Morning," she said, trying to brighten up. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Only 'cause you weren't beside me," he replied with a grin, coming over to kiss her. "Whatcha doing?"

"Making a shopping list. I wanted to go to Diagon Alley today and get some items for my classroom. I also wanted to owl Master Smythe and let him know about going to work at Hogwarts, since I told him that was my dream. I know he'll be happy for me." Hermione couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice

Ron noticed the tissue on the table and the tear track on her cheek, "Hermione, what's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how proud my parents would be of me, that's all. It's hard to believe it's been almost 4 years since they died."

Gently running his hand over her cheek, Ron looked at her tenderly. "I know, Mione." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug.

Several minutes later, they broke apart. "There's coffee if you want some. I thought maybe we could get breakfast at The Leaky Cauldron. I'm sure you want to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Guess I'd better check our potion supplies too since we may be running short on some things. I know that I'm getting low on the antacid potion so I'll have to brew some more of that."

"Ok. Let me go get dressed and we'll get going,"

Fifteen minutes later Hermione and Ron were in Diagon Alley.

"Do you have your list, love?"

"Yes, let's go get some breakfast. Then I'd like to get some new robes for teaching. That will take the longest."

The Leaky Cauldron wasn't very busy that time of day since it was early, and they were happy to see Neville and Hannah having breakfast there.

"Neville, Hannah! Great to see you!" Hermione said as they went over to their table.

"Good to see you too," Hannah replied. "Do you want to join us?"

"You don't mind?" Ron asked.

"Of course not. I'm waiting for the rush to come in when everyone starts coming shopping for their school supplies." Hannah beckoned to the waitress, who brought Ron and Hermione some menus.

Sitting down, Hermione and Ron looked over their menus and placed their orders. "How are you enjoying teaching at Hogwarts, Neville?"

"I'm loving it. It's hard to believe I'm going into my third year now. How about you? How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing well. You might have to give me some pointers on keeping students in line. It's funny that you mentioned people coming here shopping for school supplies, Hannah, because that's what I am doing here," Hermione said with a grin.

It took Hannah and Neville a moment to realize what she just said.

"You mean – you're teaching at Hogwarts this year, too?" Neville asked.

"Yes, Minerva sent me an owl yesterday and offered me the Transfiguration position. So of course, I said yes!" Hermione grinned broadly.

"I'm so happy for you, Hermione! I always knew that one day you'd be back at Hogwarts!" Neville said. "After all, look at all the help you gave me."

"And Harry and me," Ron chimed in.

Just then their food was brought to their table and the next few minutes were spent eating while Neville told stories about some of the more memorable times he had teaching over his first two years. after a while the Leaky Cauldron started getting fuller and Hermione and Ron decided it was time to go. He waved the waitress over, but Hannah told him not to worry about it.

"You're out friends. We're happy to treat you to a meal."

"Thank you, Hannah. You and Neville must come over to our flat sometime. We live in Hogsmeade. Maybe we can do that before the start of term."

"We'd like that," Neville replied.

Saying their goodbyes and leaving a generous tip for the waitress, Ron and Hermione left the Leaky Cauldron and went into Diagon Alley.

"Why don't you go in Quality Quidditch Supplies while I go get fitted for robes unless you need new dress robes too?"

Ron thought for a moment. "I think I'm okay with dress robes for now. The ones you got me when Harry and I graduated from Auror training are still like new. Besides, I want to go to Gringotts. Do you have enough money on you, love?"

"I have my card that's linked to my account, so I'm good." She was glad that Gringotts had adopted a card similar to the Muggle debit cards which removed the need for carrying a lot of heavy coins around.

"Do you want to meet up at the Apothecary in an hour? Will that be enough time for you to be measured and get your robes?"

"I think so." Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a kiss. "I love you. Be careful."

"You too."

They both knew that there were still a few rogue Death Eaters around and there was always the possibility of danger. The fact that the two of them were well-known in the wizarding community for being friends of Harry Potter and helping take down Voldemort made them prime targets for any sympathizers who might still be lurking about.

Hermione sighed as she watched Ron walk off in the direction of Gringotts. Would she ever be able to stop worrying about whether a Death Eater would sneak up and attack her, whether another Dark Lord would arise? She made her way into Madam Malkins and the bell tinkled merrily over the door.

"Oh, good morning, Miss Granger. How are you today?" Miss Malkin asked warmly.

"Fine, thank you. I have been hired at Hogwarts and I wanted to get some new robes. I'd like some robes for teaching and some robes to wear for the special feasts."

"I'm sure we can arrange that," Madam Malkin said, coming over to her. "Let me just measure you and we'll see what we have available. Do you have a preference on color?" she asked as her tape measure magically measured Hermione.

"Well, I was a Gryffindor. So at least one set of robes in red and gold would be nice. But the Sorting Hat almost put me in Ravenclaw, so blue would also be nice."

"What will you be teaching?"

"Transfiguration. Nothing really messy that I have to worry about getting dirty, like Potions or Herbology."

"Okay. Why don't you look around and see if there are any robes you like and then I'll fit them to your sizes?"

Hermione looked around the shop and found a few that she really liked. Then she found a gorgeous set of robes in emerald green. She smiled as she remembered the set that Professor McGonagall wore on September 1st her first year at Hogwarts and how nice she looked at them. Without a second thought, she chose the emerald green ones, too.

"I think I'm ready," she said, handing the robes to Madam Malkin.

Madam Malkin made the required alterations on the robes and rang her up.

"Thank you very much. Have a great day."

"You too, Miss Granger."

Hermione shrunk her bag down and put it in her pocket. She realized that there was one possible problem with her buying the emerald green robes – what would Ron say? After all, green was the Slytherin color. But if he did say something, she would simply point out about Professor McGonagall wearing them. She'd liked the lavender robes too, but the last thing she wanted was to wear robes that reminded him of his old girlfriend or their fraud of a teacher from their second year.

Diagon Alley was much more crowded now. She smiled as she saw young students with their parents shopping for the coming school year. Was it really 14 years ago that she came to Diagon Alley for the first time with her parents as an almost 12-year-old? The time had gone by so fast. A sense of sadness overcame her and another wave of heartburn reminded her that she was meeting Ron at the Apothecary. A familiar tall, redhaired man came up to her as she approached the shop.

"Hi, love," Ron said, coming up to her and falling in beside her. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes, I got some beautiful robes. How about you? Did you do any shopping?"

"Not yet, just went to Gringotts and stopped in Quality Quidditch Supplies to check out the new brooms. Where else do you want to go besides the Apothecary?"

"Well, I should get some new quills and parchment and I should see what's new in Flourish and Blotts. I think we're getting low on Kneazle food and owl treats. So, we should go to the Magical Menagerie, too. Then I think we should head home. This heartburn is getting quite bad and I want to get brewing some more of the potion."

Ron put his arm around her and gave her a hug. "Maybe they have some already brewed in there that you can buy. We can check." He opened up the door for her and watched with concern as she went in.

"Good morning," she said to the shopkeeper. "I was wondering if you have any antacid potion for sale? I can brew my own, but I am running low and I really need some now to hold me over until I can get it brewed."

"Got two vials of it. Have to buy the ingredients if you want more."

"Right, thanks," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She gathered enough ingredients to brew three months' worth. "Are there any other potions we're low on?" she asked Ron.  
Ron thought for a moment. "Maybe burn paste."

"Oh, yes." She gathered up all of the potion ingredients and once they paid they went out the door.

Hermione took a dose of the potion and closed her eyes as she felt a bit of relief from her heartburn.

"Have you thought about seeing a healer?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's just heartburn. I probably have to eat healthier. I really should eat more salads and greens. What we eat is rather rich."

"That's what I like about it!" Ron said with a laugh.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Speaking of rich food, Mum and Dad are expecting us for dinner tonight. Maybe you can wear one of your new sets of robes."

 _Good thing I stocked up on the antacid potion, then,_ Hermione thought. She loved Molly but she wasn't happy unless you ate thirds of everything that she served. Next stop was Flourish and Blotts and then Scrivenshafts. The final stop was The Magical Menagerie.

As soon as they walked into the door, a black cat jumped into Ron's arms, then climbed up to his shoulders and onto his head before settled there.

"Ebony!" the shopkeeper called.

Hermione laughed, looking up at the cat on Ron's head.

"You're in for it now," the shopkeeper said. "Ebony has claimed you as her owner."

"She's what?" Ron asked.

"She's a female kneazle. There have been so many people who have wanted to adopt her. She hasn't wanted to go with any of them."

Hermione laughed. "Well, I guess we have found a mate for Crookshanks. We also need some owl treats and some Kneazle food, please."

It definitely was shaping up to be an interesting day.


End file.
